Charlie and Brax  No Regrets
by LauraJean1992
Summary: Set when Brax asked Charlie what he should do and she asked him to quit the Riverboys.. he's done it. This story is his feelings whenever he sees them and realises he's made the right decision...
1. Chapter 1

Hoping I can make this as good as some of the other stories I've read on here. Before I start writing a story I like to know the background of the characters I'm going to be writing about and as much as I've watched clips and episodes of them, I don't feel I know them as well as I should do but I couldn't stop writing this. Thank you to jasminenicola on Twitter for helping me immensely with this, you're a Godsend…

BRAX'S POV:

My mind flashbacked to the night where I'd told Charlie I'd cut all ties with the Riverboys so that I could be with her but every single time I saw them I wanted to go over, to speak to them, I was so tempted and this morning was no same, I finished my morning surf and they were all sat on the beach…

"I love you" Charlie's words echoed in my head

I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued up the beach to my car to dry off…

"There you are. I've been looking for you all morning" Charlie proclaimed as she walked over to me as I was pulling on a t-shirt

"Sorry. I've been for my morning surf and was just on my way to see you. Is everything okay?" I questioned worriedly, kissing her cheek and pulling away

"No, I was just wondering if you needed help sorting the delivery out at Angelo's? I've got the day off" she informed me

"That'd be good" I smiled weakly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me gently before pulling away and climbing into the passenger seat of my car

I sighed and walked over to the driver's seat, before climbing in I took another look at the boys and sighed once more, climbing into the car and started the ignition, driving off towards Angelo's…

"Do you regret quitting the Riverboys?" Charlie asked as we drove

"No. Why would you think that?" I questioned, turning to face her momentarily

"Be honest with me please Brax, I saw you looking at them before you got in the car before we left the beach. Do you regret your decision?" she enquired nervously, biting down on her lip

We pulled into Angelo's and I switched the engine off, turning to her…

"I miss the boys, they were a big part of my life for a long time but I've got you now, you're my life" I admitted

A smile arose on her face and I matched it, seeing her smile made my day…

"I love you, you know that right?" she asked as she leaned towards me

I mirrored her actions and nodded before sealing our lips together…


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie had got a phone call from Ruby as we were unloading the delivery that morning, asking if they could meet for a coffee, I told her she should go, which she did, not long after saying our goodbyes, Heath walks in…

"I hear you've got a mystery woman" he proclaimed, jumping up to sit on the bar

"So what if I have?" I questioned, glancing through the paperwork that came with the order

"It's not Buckton again is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as I continued to look through the paperwork

I stayed silent and continued to look through the paperwork, I looked up as Heath scoffed…

"Seriously, you're going with her, again?" Heath enquired, shocked

"It's none of your business Heath, get over it" I sighed as I walked behind the bar and started unpacking the order

"You're my brother and when you're making stupid decisions like this I think I have a right to get involved" Heath replied

"Me, stupid decisions? What about you? What about getting involved with Bianca yet again knowing full well she's with Liam?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I put the box I was unpacking down and turned to him

"Don't turn this back on me, this is about you, what're you going to do if the other boys find out?" he questioned, folding his arms across his chest

"There not going to because I've got no intention of telling them, not yet anyway" I explained

"I hear you've ditched us again? How long till you're sucked back in?" Heath asked

"I'm not going to be sucked back in, I've made my decision alright Heath? Now if you don't mind, I've got things to do" I informed him, walking back into the office

I sighed and walked back into the office, sitting down at the desk, running my hands through my hair as my phone began to vibrate…

"Hey" I greeted Charlie as I answered her call

"Hey yourself, listen, I'm done with Ruby, are you still at Angelo's?" she questioned

"Yea but I'm finishing up soon. How about I come to yours?" I suggested

"Okay. I'll see you in about half an hour?" she enquired

"Sure thing" I replied, smiling weakly

"Okay, bye" she stated, hanging up the phone

I finished up the paperwork and filed it and left the office, walking back out into the bar to check everything was sorted there and then left, locking up and stepping into my car, driving the fifteen minute distance to Charlie's…

A little while later I was in the kitchen making us a cup of tea each when I heard her footsteps. I smiled and turned towards her, leaning against the cooker as she walked over to me…

"I thought you'd forgotten about me" she admitted as she wrapped her arms around my waist

I couldn't speak for a moment, I was just looking at her body and thinking how amazing it looked in my shirt she was wearing…

"Brax?" she questioned, breaking me out of my trance

"Huh, sorry. What were you saying?" I proclaimed, pulling her further towards me

"I was saying I thought you'd forgotten about me" she informed me

"No, never" I stated, smiling lightly as I captured her lips for a gentle yet passionate kiss

As we pulled away…

"What's on your mind?" she enquired, her fingers tracing patterns up and down my spine

"You. You drive me crazy Charlie Buckton, and you don't even know it" I sighed

She chuckled and bowed her head momentarily before looking up at me…

"And now what's really on your mind?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, wanting a serious answer

"Before I came here, Heath came to Angelo's and we had a row, about you" I explained

"About me? I'm sorry" she sighed, the smile falling from her features

"Hey, don't be sorry, it's not your fault my brother's a jerk is it?" I questioned, leaning my forehead against hers

"I've asked too much of you, asking you to leave the Riverboys to have a life with me wasn't fair and wasn't right so if you want to call it quits before this gets too serious then we can do, I won't mind honestly" she proclaimed

"Charlie, hey, hey, look at me" I whispered, lifting her chin up so her face met mine "what did I say yesterday huh? You're my life now"

She smiled weakly, exhaling a breath and nodded, the smile getting wider and wider on her face as I moved my face closer towards hers…

"How about we forget about the tea?" I suggested, my breath hitting her lips, making her shiver

She nodded and pecked my lips before taking my hand and walking us back through to the bedroom…


	3. Chapter 3

"So, what do we do when people start asking? We both know Heath's not going to keep quiet" Charlie sighed as we lay in bed that afternoon

"If people ask me then I'm going to be honest. I'm going to tell them that I've left the Riverboys because I want to be with you. What about you? What're you going to say?" I questioned nervously

"The same" she admitted, sitting up so she was facing me, a smile playing on her features

"Seriously?" I stated, shocked

She nodded and I pulled her towards me, kissing me passionately…

Later on that afternoon we decided to get up and get dressed, we walked into the Surf Club and she grabbed us a table whilst I went to grab some drinks, I sat down a few minutes later…

"So is it true what I've been hearing? You two are together?" Colleen asked, standing in front of us

"It is" I informed her, smiling as Charlie took my hand in hers

"I expected more of you Sergeant Buckton, I really did" she sighed, folding her arms across her chest

"What do you mean Colleen?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows

"Dating one of the Riverboys? How many times have you had them in the police station?" she asked

"I don't think that's any of your business and neither is who I'm dating. Thank you for your concern though. Shall we go?" she enquired, turning to face me

I nodded and we stood up, grabbing our drinks and leaving the Surf Club…

"I'm sorry" I sighed as we walked along the beach, holding our shoes, letting the sand mingle in our toes

"What are you sorry for?" she enquired, confused as she stopped and turned to face me

"About everything back there with Colleen. Are you sure being open and honest is the best thing to do?" I asked

"Just because I'm a member of the police force doesn't give people the right to tell me who I should or shouldn't date. I'm with you and I'm happy, people are just going to have to get used to that" she informed me, smiling as she took my free hand in hers and we continued along the beach

….

CHARLIE'S POV:

"Well, well, well, hello Sergeant" one of the Riverboys greeted me as I walked over to them

"You're going to have to start clearing out now I'm afraid, complaints of being drunk and disorderly are coming in" I informed the gang

"We're not going anywhere" one of them replied, smiling sarcastically

"I suggest you move unless you want to spend a night in the cells" I proclaimed, smiling back

"You heard her" a voice exclaimed

We all turned to where the voice was coming from, it was Brax, he was walking towards us after pulling up just behind the police car…

"Sorry your highness but you can't tell us what to do anymore. You quit, for her remember?" one of the gang asked, motioning over to me

"I remember but she said clear off so I suggest you do unless you want to spend a night in the cells" he informed them, repeating my earlier statement

"Come on boys" he stated, gathering up the gang as they walked off down the beach

As they walked off Brax turned to me and walked over to me, I smiled at him, leaning my head to one side…

"Come here" he sighed, pulling me into his embrace

"Thanks for that, just what I needed. I'll see you at my place later okay?" I questioned

He nodded and watched me as I got back into the car and drove away…


	4. Chapter 4

"A day at the beach, are you serious? We've got things to do" Charlie proclaimed as I suggested the idea of going away for the day to a deserted beach I used to surf at

"Come on, it'll do us both good to get out of here, on our own for the day. Who knows, it might even be fun. Why not let your hair down Sergeant?" I questioned, waggling my eyebrows, making her chuckle

"Fine, fine" she sighed, holding her hands up in defence, a smirk playing on her lips as I smiled and drew her lips towards mine

After getting ourselves organised we climbed into my Ute and left Summer Bay for the day, heading off towards Lady Martin's Beach, just a little out of Sydney. We arrived and as I expected, the place was deserted, just as it always had been…

"Brax, this place is stunning. How did you find it?" Charlie asked as she stepped out of the Ute, taking in the breathtaking views

"When I was younger I used to drive off to calm myself down and I got tired of going to the same old beaches time after time so I decided to start looking for new ones. This has always been one of my favourites though" I explained as I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist

"I can see why, it's beautiful" she sighed as she relaxed into my embrace, her head falling back against my shoulder

"And so are you. Now come on, I'm going to teach you to surf today, whether you like it or not" I stated, pushing her gently towards the Ute to grab her things

We made our way down to the beach, the sand in between our toes as we'd removed our shoes beforehand, I was carrying my surfboard and Charlie was carrying the bags. We reached an even more desolate spot that overlooked some gorgeous landscape, Charlie sat down after stripping to her white string bikini, I sighed as I took in her beauty as she stretched out and started to apply some sun cream. I stripped down to my shorts and started to clean my board…

"So, are you going to let the daredevil inside you out today or what?" I questioned as I walked back up the beach, pitching my surfboard in the sand

"Do I have to? I'm really enjoying laying here but it'd be nicer if my hunk of a boyfriend chose to lay with me" she informed me, smirking as I sat down next to her

We stayed at the beach for a while longer and as the sun was setting…

"We better get going. I need to get back for work" I sighed as I pulled a shirt on over my head

"Today's been lovely and you're right, I have had fun" she admitted, smirking at our passionate encounter earlier on

"I have too. Are you going to come to the bar tonight?" I questioned as we collected our things and headed back to the Ute

"I might, I don't know what Ruby or Leah are doing yet so we'll see" she replied, smiling as we threw our things into the back and climbed in

We arrived back at the house just as the sun set…

"I need to shower" Charlie proclaimed as she dumped her bag on the bed

"Me too, you better hurry or I might just join you" I proclaimed, smirking

"Why don't you just join me anyway?" she suggested, pulling her t-shirt over her head as she headed to the bathroom

As I was about to give her my answer as to why a shower with her wouldn't be such a good idea I sighed and gave in as I moved towards the doorway of the bathroom, she was stood in her bikini from earlier and watched, gauging my reaction as she set the shower going, giving me a good view of her bum and started to undress before stepping into the shower cubicle…

I groaned as I watched her reach out for the shower gel, once again giving me a good view of her bum and I sighed as I felt my crotch area begin to tighten. I pulled down my shorts and peeled off my t-shirt, throwing my boxers down and walking into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us…

"Let me" I whispered, taking the shower gel bottle from her hands, placing a sufficient amount into my hands, rubbing it together and placing some of the foam onto her body

She sighed contentedly and I saw her eyes drop shut as my hands worked her back, moving further down and round her waist, engulfing her as I focused on her stomach and moved downwards…

"1 or 2?" I asked, whispering into her ear, biting gently on her earlobe

"2" she whispered back, her breathing quickening as I entered two digits slowly as she'd asked

As I felt her tighten around me, sensing her orgasm approaching I removed my fingers and turned her round, signalling for her to jump into my arms which she did, the shower wall coming in handy as I moved us towards the back, her body once again engulfed and trapped by me…

"I thought you said you had to be at the bar?" she teased, raising an eyebrow as I traced patterns up the backs of her legs

"I do but there's something more important that I have to attend to first" I replied, lowering her down onto me gently, a gasp escaping both of our mouths

I began to thrust gently, Charlie's moans spurring me to go faster as I did so, I felt my own release fast approaching and moved my hand down to find her swollen clit, circling it heavily with my thumb she tensed and released and I felt her toes curling against my butt cheeks, she pulled me to her for a slow, passionate kiss and my orgasm released, shooting inside her. As our legs and breathing returned to normal I let go of her, her feet returning to the floor…

"Best. Shower. Ever" she informed me, smiling as she pecked my lips and grabbed a towel before stepping out from under the water to get dry


	5. Chapter 5

Heath and I had unloaded and unpacked another delivery ready for opening time in an hour. I was sorting through some paperwork when Charlie walked in, she was on duty…

"Well hello Sergeant, what can I do for you?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow as she walked to the bar

"I'm just here to inform you of some burglaries in the area and I was also wondering if you were free to meet up later?" she enquired as I walked round to greet her, kissing her cheek gently

"Hang on, let me just check my calendar" I stated, walking back to the bar, holding my thumb up in answer, earning a giggle from Charlie as I turned back to face her

"Shall we say seven, my place? Leah and Miles are out for the night, VJ's at a friend's and Casey and Ruby will more than likely be at his" she informed me

"I'll be there" I replied, pulling her into me, kissing her gently

"Good. Now I have to go, I'll see you later" she proclaimed, removing herself from my tightening embrace and walking off, swaying her hips gently from side to side, knowing how much I liked it

CHARLIE'S POV:

I got off my shift at half five that evening, making my way back to the house and pulling up the driveway, shutting the engine off and walking inside the house, finding a note from Leah saying everyone had already gone. I smiled and left the note on the side, locking the door behind me as I decided I needed to shower. After showering I walked into my bedroom to get dressed, after changing into a pair of jeans and a loose top, pulling some sandals on my feet I checked the time, it was half six, Brax would be here early, I knew he would be, I decided to watch some TV whilst I awaited his arrival and sure enough, at five to six a knock at the door sounded, making me smile as I switched the TV off and walked to the back door, opening it, revealing my boyfriend…

"You're early" I sighed as he kicked the door shut, moving me towards the worktop

"And horny. You've been driving me wild all day Charlie Buckton" he informed me

"I'm sorry" I moaned as his lips travelled down to my neck

"Don't be" he whispered against my skin, making me shiver lightly, a smirk playing on his features

"How about we order takeout?" I suggested as we lay in bed

"Chinese?" Brax enquired, raising an eyebrow

I nodded and grabbed the phone as Brax recited his order to me, I dialled the number and placed our orders, being informed that it'd be here in half an hour…

"Come on, we better get dressed" I stated, climbing out of bed and pulling my clothes back on

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" he asked as he motioned to my en-suite bathroom

I nodded and he smiled, kissing my cheek as he walked round to my side of the bed and disappearing into the bathroom. A moment later as I exited the room, I heard the shower begin to run…

Just a little "fill in" chapter. There's going to be some drama next chapter


	6. Chapter 6

CHARLIE'S POV:

I stepped into the office after filling out the paperwork for Cheryl Braxton's arrest, I sighed and leaned against the door before walking over to my desk and picking up my phone. I needed to let Brax know, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before dialling his number, placing the phone to my ear and waiting for him to pick up…

"Hey you. You must be telepathic or something. I was just about to phone you" he informed me as he picked up

"Hey yourself. Oh were you? What for? Listen, I need to tell you something and you've got to promise not to freak okay?" I questioned nervously, biting down on my lip

"I was going to see if you wanted to do something tonight. Umm, okay" he replied

"Your Mum's been arrested for drug dealing. She wants to see you, Heath and Casey" I admitted

"Great. Thanks for letting me know, I'll get Heath and Casey and we'll be there" he sighed

"Okay. See you soon, bye" I sighed also before hanging up the phone

As I hung up the phone Inspector Joyce walked in…

"Was that Daryl Braxton?" he questioned "please tell me it was, his Mother's screaming blue murder"

"Yes it was. He and his brothers will be here within the hour" I informed him

He nodded and left my office, I followed him back out to the front desk to complete some more paperwork and before I knew it, Brax, Heath and Casey walked in and over to me…

"Hey. So, can we see her?" he enquired, raising an eyebrow

"I'll take you through. Follow me" I replied, walking out from behind the front desk and walking down the corridor towards the cells

We stopped in front of Cheryl's and I permitted the guard to unlock the door, letting the boys step in first before I followed…

"What is she doing in here?" Cheryl questioned, pointing to me

"My job. I have to be present whilst you speak to your sons" I informed her, ignoring her dirty looks

Cheryl scoffed and sat down on the makeshift bed whilst the boys leant up against the wall and I stood against the opposite one…

After fifteen minutes of persistently biting my tongue their conversation was over and I escorted them back to the front desk…

"You coming Brax?" Heath enquired as he and Casey went to leave the police station

"I'll be right behind you. I just want to speak to Sergeant Buckton" he informed him, smiling

Heath nodded and shoved Casey gently out of the door, I motioned to my office, opening the door and shutting it behind us…

"I'm sorry about my Mum, I really am. What're the chances of her getting off?" he asked, leaning on the edge of my desk

"They're not good Brax, she was caught in possession of class A drugs with intent to supply to minors. That's five, six years at the most" I explained

He sighed and smiled weakly at me, motioning for me to come towards him, I did and I positioned myself between his legs, wrapping my arms around his neck as his made their way around my waist, pulling me further into him…

"So, about tonight? What do you fancy doing?" he questioned

"I don't mind as long as I get to see you" I admitted, smirking

"You'll see me alright. Look, I better get going, do you want me to meet you from here or are you going for a run?" he enquired

"I'm going for a run when I get off in about fifteen minutes so I'll ring you when I'm organised yea?" I suggested

He nodded and kissed my lips gently before I pulled away and let him leave the room, shutting the door behind him as I finished up work for the day. Little did I know that the other members of the Riverboy gang had found out that Cheryl had been locked up, and were out for revenge…


	7. Chapter 7

I arrived home and got changed into my jogging bottoms, a t-shirt and a loose fitting hoodie, grabbing my trainers and my iPod before leaving the house and warming up, jogging off gently down the street. I reached outside of the Surf Club where Brax was standing, talking to Heath, about me…

"You don't understand Brax. Charlie's in trouble okay?" Heath proclaimed

"What sort of trouble?" Brax questioned worriedly

"Casey's gone and told the others that its Charlie's fault Mum's in jail. They're out for revenge" Heath explained

Before Brax had the time to answer he and Heath heard screeching tyres, he saw the car of one of the other members of the Riverboys, Benjamin zooming down the road, glancing down the road he saw Charlie running, and saw the passenger lean out the window, he had a gun in his hands…

"Call an ambulance" Brax proclaimed, running through a clearing in the hedge and down to the road

Charlie continued to run, oblivious to the fact that was someone was about to shoot her. Suddenly a bang and before Brax had time to reach her Charlie was knocked to the ground and Benjamin's car had zoomed off. Brax ran across and over to Charlie, pulling her to him and cradling her as he watched Heath relay details to the paramedics on the phone before dashing over…

"What can I do?" Heath asked his brother as he cradled Charlie in his arms

"Get the cops. Tell them it was Benjamin and James" Brax informed him

Heath nodded and grabbed his phone before dialling the number for the police. Not soon after the ambulance arrived and taking Charlie off to hospital…

I know it was only a short update but it's the most I could do in the time I had because I want jasminenicola to read. Enjoy babe xxx


	8. Chapter 8

I sat outside the room she'd been wheeled off from into surgery when I running footsteps and Ruby and Leah ran round the corner…

"Brax, what's happened? Is she okay?" Ruby asked, running over to me

"They've taken her off to surgery to try and stop the bleeding" I informed her

"Has anyone told you anything about her progress?" Leah enquired as they sat down

"I've heard nothing, they won't tell me anything. You better let them know you're here, you're next of kin" I stated

Ruby nodded and walked over to the nurse's station…

"She'll be okay you know? She's a fighter" Leah assured me, resting her hand on my shoulder

"Do they know who did it?" Ruby questioned as she sat back down, clipboard in hand ready to fill out some forms

"One of the Riverboys found out Mum had been put in jail, they blame her" I explained

"So one of your own shot her?" Ruby asked, raising her head in shock

"Everyone seems to forget that I gave up my life with them for your Mum. I love her okay Rubes?" Brax enquired

Ruby glanced at Leah and instead of arguing, she nodded, going back to completing the forms. A little while later, Ruby went off to take the forms back, I watched and saw her talking to one of the nurses…

"Casey told the boys that Mum was in jail, I don't want Ruby finding out" I explained to Leah

"This was Casey?" Ruby questioned, shocking me and Leah before she had time to answer

I glanced at Leah and nodded before Ruby dashed out of the hospital…

"Can you please go after her? If I see him right now, I'll kill him. I'll keep you updated" I asked

Leah nodded and followed Ruby down the corridor and out of the hospital as I stayed seated, waiting for news on Charlie…

"Brax" Sid asked a little while later

"Sid. How is she?" I questioned worriedly, standing up

"We've managed to stop the bleeding and now she's in Recovery. Would you like to see her?" he enquired

I nodded and followed Sid down the corridor to the Recovery ward…

"Try speaking to her, it might bring her round quicker" Sid advised as he opened the door for me

I nodded and walked inside, shutting the door behind me as I walked over to her bed and sat down. I sighed as I looked over her appearance, even with tubes sticking out of her and monitors attached to all the different parts of her body she still looked beautiful. I sighed once more and took her hand in mine, caressing it…

"Charlie baby it's me, come on, you've got to wake up, we all need you" I muttered into her hand as I placed a kiss on her knuckle

After continuing to talk to her for goodness knows how long I picked up my phone and text Leah, informing her that Charlie was out of the woods but was unconscious…

"Charlie please, I'm going to keep begging, please wake up" I sighed, kissing her hand once again "just give me a sign, give me a sign you can hear me, squeeze my hand, anything"

CHARLIE'S POV:

I could hear Brax's voice and I wanted more than anything to open my eyes so I could see his face but I couldn't…

"Charlie please, I'm going to keep begging, please wake up" I felt him kiss my hand "just give me a sign, give me a sign you can hear me, squeeze my hand, anything"

It took all my energy to grasp my fingers around his and squeeze…

"That's it baby, well done" he proclaimed. I knew there was a smile on his face, I missed that smile

How long will it be till Charlie opens her eyes?


	9. Chapter 9

RUBY'S POV:

I was furious with Casey, how could he of done that? He'd got my Mum put in hospital and none of us knowing whether she'd wake up or not. I left the hospital, Leah chasing after me worriedly, concerned about what I'd do. I walked all the way to his place, banging on the door for him to let me in…

"Ruby, is everything okay?" he asked

"I don't know. You tell me" I replied, barging past him and walking into the house

"Leah, can you please tell me what happened?" Casey questioned, playing dumb

"You're not even going to own up to what you've done?" Leah enquired, raising an eyebrow

"I don't know what I'm supposed to have done. Will someone please tell me?" he proclaimed

"Brax will kill you if Charlie doesn't wake up, you do realise that right?" I stated

Casey stayed silent and swallowed, nodding…

"Can you leave us please Leah? Nothing will happen, I'll be okay" I asked

Leah nodded and left the house, shutting the door behind her…

"I know you were angry but why did you have to tell the others? My Mum could die Case" I whispered, the tears threatening to spill from my eyes

"Babe, I'm so sorry, I really am, I didn't mean for it to escalate to something like this" he explained

"Before Brax leaves the hospital I suggest you and whoever did this hand yourself into the police. You know he'll kill you if he gets his hands on you and we're all going to need him when Charlie wakes up" I informed him

He nodded, standing up before walking to the door and leaving the house. I sighed heavily, running my hands through my hair and wiping my eyes before standing up and leaving too, going back to the hospital…

CHARLIE'S POV:

I was trapped, trapped in a room with no way out, I didn't know how to get out, I didn't know how to get out so I was able to open my eyes, see my boyfriend, see my daughter, see my friends, see the people who loved me most and who I loved the most too. I needed to see them; I was determined to open my eyes…

"I'm still here baby, I'm not leaving till you do, till you open your eyes and start telling people what to do I'm not going anywhere" Brax stated, his hand covering mine once again

I tried my hardest to open my eyes, they flickered open and I saw something, a ceiling I think, I flickered them open again, it was a ceiling, I prised them apart once more, opening them fully, turning my head to look to my left, there was Brax, sat there, his head buried against my hand…

"Baby" I whispered, his head shooting up automatically

"You're awake! Oh thank God" he exclaimed, dropping my hand and standing up, kissing my forehead gently

I smiled as his hand clasped mine once again…

"I'm so sorry, I'm never, ever, ever letting you go again, I promise" he informed me

"I know, I know" I replied, his lips meeting mine

"God I've missed that" he exclaimed as he pulled away, a smile gracing his features

"Me too. Where's Ruby? Where's Leah?" I asked, glancing around the room

"Ruby and Leah have gone to see Casey, he was the one that got you put here" he admitted

"What? How?" I questioned, shocked at Brax's admission

"He told the other boys you'd got Mum put in jail, they wanted to teach you a lesson" he explained

"I can't believe it. Is Ruby okay? When did she leave?" I asked worriedly

"She left about half an hour ago, she was angry, she just needs to vent and get it out of her system, she'll be okay, Leah's with her" he assured me

I nodded and sighed. Brax informed me that he had to go and get Sid if there was any change, I watched as he walked out of the room, returning a few moments later, followed by Sid…

"Well hello there stranger, you gave us quite a fright. How're you feeling?" he asked

"Okay thank you. Could I have some water please?" I questioned

"Sure. I'll get one of the nurses to bring you a cup. You want anything Brax?" he enquired

"No thanks Sid" he replied, smiling as Sid left the room


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks later and I was allowed to leave the hospital. Brax was picking me up and taking me home, he'd been there with me every step of the way, all the way through my recovery and I couldn't thank him enough. I was just finishing packing my bag when the door opened and Brax walked in…

"Hey you, you're meant to be taking it easy, let me finish that" he proclaimed, hurrying over to me

"Brax, I think I can finish packing a suitcase by myself" I sighed as he zipped up the bag

"I know you can but the doctors have said rest until you're better" he informed me, raising an eyebrow

I nodded and sighed once more as his lips gently grazed mine, a smile forming on my face as he pulled away…

"Can we get me out of here now please?" I asked

He nodded and took my hand in his, guiding me out of the room and out into the Reception to sign my discharge papers and then to the lift to go out into the car park. The fresh air hit me immediately and I smiled, finally I could get my life back on track. We walked over to Brax's car and he opened the door for me, letting me step in and shutting it behind me as I buckled myself in, he threw my bag into the back and walked round to the driver's side, stepping in, buckling himself in and starting the engine, reversing out of the car parking space and driving away from the hospital premises.

We arrived back at the house and I wondered what was going on, there seemed to be no life in it…

"Where is everyone? Please don't tell me there's a surprise party about to happen?" I questioned

"No, no, nothing like that. I've asked the guys to go out for a bit, I just wanted some me and you time, they're all at Angelo's having food on me and I said we'd join them later" he explained as we stepped out of the car

"You Daryl Braxton are a softie" I exclaimed, walking over to him, kissing his lips gently

"Shush. Don't tell anyone, I've got a reputation to uphold" he replied, smiling widely

I nodded in understanding as he grabbed my bag and guided me inside, opening the back door and walking us into the kitchen, shutting the door behind us; I kicked off my sandals as he dumped my bag and kicked off his shoes too…

"Ah, ah, ah. Not yet, close your eyes" he stated, covering my eyes with his hands

"Brax, what's going on?" I enquired, placing my hands over his that were covering my eyes

"There's a surprise in there for you now keep walking forward" he instructed "keep going"

He removed his hands from my eyes and I opened them, in front of me set out on the coffee table was a beautiful candlelit dinner…

"What's all this?" I enquired, turning around to face him

"I just thought it'd be a nice treat to welcome you home" he explained, smiling as I smiled also

"Thank you. It's amazing and you're amazing too. What have I done to deserve you?" I asked

He laughed and met our lips in a short but passionate kiss. We walked over to the sofa and sat down; in front of us there was salmon, crackers, pate and strawberries that could either be dipped in cream or chocolate…

"What about drink?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow as we tucked in, looking around

"Well, seen as though you're not allowed to drink because you're on antibiotics, I thought this could be the perfect substitute, looks like champagne and may even taste like it" he informed me, smiling as he pulled out a bottle of pineapple juice

"You really have thought of everything haven't you?" I asked, laughing lightly as he poured us a glass each

"Yup and I promise, when you finish your course of antibiotics, we'll have the real thing" he replied

"I'll hold you to that" I stated, clinking our glasses together as we each took a drink

A little while later we were snuggled up on the sofa after devouring all the food…

"Do you think we'd better make our way to Angelo's before we fall asleep?" I suggested, nudging Brax in his side gently as his eyes drooped shut

"Yea I suppose so. I need to check everything's okay there anyway" he sighed, stretching and standing up as I did the same, wincing as my side twinged

"You okay?" he asked worriedly, noticing my face distort in discomfort

"Yea I'm fine, it's just this, I'll be fine" I assured him, lifting my shirt up and looking at the wound in the mirror

"I'm so sorry I let it happen to you" he sighed, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist

"Stop it, it wasn't your fault" I proclaimed, turning around as I wrapped my arms around his neck

He nodded and sighed gently before burying his head in the crook of my neck, signalling he wanted a hug, I laughed and sighed gently as his lips traced a pattern up my neck…

"Ah, ah, ah, maybe later, come on, we've got people to go and see" I informed him as his hands dropped to the hem of my t-shirt

Brax groaned as I pulled away and took his hand, leading him out of the living room to put our shoes on and leave the house…


	11. Chapter 11

Brax and I walked into Angelo's and joined Casey, Ruby, Leah and VJ who were sat at a table near the bar…

"Hey. You're meant to be resting" Ruby proclaimed as we walked over to them

"Brax said he'll take me home as soon as I feel I need to okay? No need to worry" I chuckled

"Okay" Ruby replied "come sit down"

I sat down next to her and Brax set himself down next to me, grabbing a slice of pizza from the plate…

"How can you eat that after what we've just ate?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows

"I'm a growing man" he exclaimed, holding up his muscles

"Oh I know" I stated, kissing his lips lightly

"Ugh guys, kids present" Ruby, Casey and VJ proclaimed in disgust

I chuckled and leant my head onto Brax's shoulder as his arm wound itself around my waist, pulling me further into him…

"You okay baby?" he asked later on that evening as he continued to man the bar

"I'm fine. Nice and relaxed, what time are you finishing?" I questioned

"Not too long I shouldn't think. How come?" he asked

"I was thinking we could go home, get snuggled in bed and watch a film?" I suggested

"Good idea" he informed me, leaning across the bar to kiss me gently

I smiled and walked back to the table where VJ and Leah were, Casey and Ruby had gone off to "study" but we all knew, apart from VJ that they wanted some alone time…

"Can you tell Ruby I'll be home tomorrow morning please, and that she doesn't have to worry?" I asked Leah as me and Brax were about to leave

"Sure thing. It's nice to see you home" she replied, hugging me tightly

"It's good to be home. I'll see you tomorrow" I replied, taking Brax's extended hand and leaving the restaurant

There's going to be some more drama in the next few chapters, Tegan's back


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, well, well, Heath Braxton, long time no see" Tegan stated as Heath walked into his Mum's house

"What the hell are you doing here? Where's my Mum?" Heath questioned, raising an eyebrow

"Out the back getting the washing in, we're having a catch up. I hear Brax has got himself a new girlfriend? A cop no less" Tegan proclaimed, rolling her eyes

"Yea and he's happy, he's not going to go back to you" Heath informed her

"We're just going to have to wait and see on that front aren't we? We all know he can't resist a bit of me" Tegan replied

Heath laughed and walked to the fridge to get a beer as Cheryl Braxton walked in the house, greeting her son and sitting back down next to Tegan…

"Mum, can we talk please?" Heath asked, motioning for her to come to the kitchen

"What's this all about?" she enquired, walking over to her son

"Why have you brought her back here? Brax isn't interested" Heath exclaimed

"I've not brought him back for Brax" Cheryl proclaimed

"Please. So Brax dating a copper hasn't got anything to do with this no?" Heath questioned

Cheryl shook her head and walked back into the living room, sitting next to Tegan. Heath sighed and left the house, heading back to the Bay…

CHARLIE'S POV:

"Brax, Brax, stop it, come on, I've got to get ready for work" I proclaimed as Brax continued to tickle me

"Surely you can spare me another ten minutes Sergeant?" he enquired, kissing my neck gently

"No, no, I can't, sorry" I informed him, moving out of his embrace and continuing to finish getting ready

"Anyone home?" Heath's voice came from the doorway a moment or two later

"Heath? Come in" I stated as I finished buttoning up my shirt

"Is Brax around?" he asked

"Yea, he's just getting his shirt, is everything okay?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow

"Um no not really, I really need to speak with Brax" Heath replied

Brax walked out of the room a second later…

"Heath, everything okay buddy?" he questioned

"No. You know who's back in town, she's at Mum's now" Heath informed him

I watched as Brax's mouth dropped open in shock, he was speechless…

"Who's you know who?" I enquired, confused

"No one babe, we've got to go, I'll talk to you later okay?" he asked, kissing my cheek gently

I nodded and watched as they walked out of the house…


	13. Chapter 13

"Tegan, I know you're in the Bay, get to Angelo's, now" Tegan chuckled as she heard Brax's message on her voicemail

She hung up the phone and continued her walk into the diner, sitting down as Charlie walked in…

"Large coffee please Colleen" I proclaimed as I rubbed my eyes tiredly

"How are you feeling now you're out of the hospital Sergeant?" she questioned

"Okay thank you. Can you hurry it up a bit please? I've got stuff to do" I sighed

"Here you go" she replied, handing me my coffee as I handed her the money

As I turned to walk out I almost walked into someone…

"Sorry. Charlie Buckton right?" Tegan enquired

"Yea. Who wants to know?" I asked as I slid my purse under my arm

"Tegan Bradley. I hear you know a friend of mine?" she questioned "maybe you could tell me where he is?"

"Depends who this friend is?" Charlie enquired

"Daryl Braxton" she informed her

Charlie was shocked, this must've been the person Heath and Brax had been on about yesterday…

"Yea I know him. Come with me" she replied, swallowing a lump in her throat and walking from the Diner

Tegan grabbed her belongings and followed Charlie out of the diner and down to the beach and walking a few minutes to Angelo's…

"Mr Braxton?" she questioned as she walked up the steps

"In here Charlie" he informed her as she walked down the corridor into Angelo's

"Sergeant Buckton to you" she informed him as Tegan followed her in

"Well, well, well, I never thought I'd you be on first name terms with a cop" Tegan proclaimed as she walked over to the bar

"Tegan. What're you doing here?" he questioned

"I'll leave you to it" Charlie stated, shooting Brax a look and leaving the bar

"Yea thanks Serge" he replied, watching her as she walked out

"So, now she's gone, aren't you going to greet me properly?" Tegan asked

"No I'm not. Heath told me you were here and he told me he told you that I had a girlfriend. What the hell are you doing here?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow

"I thought I'd come and pay a visit to an old friend" she replied, smiling sweetly

"So Mum sent you here? That's the only time you class me as a friend" Brax enquired

"Fill me in, you know she'll kill me if I don't go back with any information" Tegan begged

"You're not getting a thing out of me and you won't be getting a thing out of anyone else either so you might as well just go and tell Mum to come here and do her own dirty work for once" Brax informed her

"How about a drink for old times sake? A beer for me please" Tegan stated

"I don't think so, last time you and me had a drink together you threw a bottle at my head" Brax replied, scoffing lightly

"Fine. Whatever. I guess I'll see you around" she sighed, rolling her eyes and walking out of the bar

"Not if I can help it" he proclaimed as she reached the doorway, smiling as she stopped momentarily

CHARLIE'S POV:

I was nervously pacing back and forth in the living room of my home when a knock at the door came, it was Brax, I opened the door and let him in, walking back into the living room…

"So that was the girl you and Heath were on about yesterday?" I asked as we sat down

"Yea it was. She's an ex but I've got nothing to do with her anymore. She came to try and get some information out of me for my Mum, she won't be bothering us again" Brax assured her as she settled into his open embrace

"I'd love to believe you but she doesn't seem like the type of person to give up that easily" she sighed as she fiddled with the material on Brax's shirt

"She's not going to hurt our relationship if that's what you're worried about, I won't let her" he exclaimed

Charlie sat up and looked into Brax's eyes, smiling and nodding as their lips met in a gentle kiss…


	14. Chapter 14

Valentine's Day was coming up and I knew Brax had something planned, I could tell when he had something planned. I sat at the breakfast table the morning before Valentine's Day looking on a jewellery store website, stuck on what present to buy Brax…

"Morning Charlie. What're you doing today?" Ruby questioned as she walked out of her bedroom

"Morning Rubes, I need to go into the City and try and find Brax a present. What about you?" I asked, shutting the laptop

"The same, I need to find something for Casey, can I tag along?" she enquired, raising an eyebrow

"Of course. We can have a retail therapy can't we?" I suggested, smiling widely

"Definitely. I'll just hop in the shower" she informed me

I nodded and as she walked into the bathroom I decided to clear away my breakfast things, ready for when Ruby would be. An hour later she was ready and we left the house, hopping into my car and driving into the shopping district of the City…

"You any idea what you're going to get Casey?" I questioned as I pulled into a parking space

"Nothing yet. I'm hoping something will pop out at me as we're going around" she informed me "you got any ideas of what you're getting Brax yet?"

"I wanted to get him some kind of jewellery but the only piece he wears is his Riverboys ring" I explained, sighing as we climbed out of the car

"How about a pendant of some kind?" Ruby suggested, raising an eyebrow

"Isn't that a bit teenage-ish? No offence" I enquired

"No and I'm sure he'll love it" she assured me, smiling

"Well I guess we better go and look at one of the many jewellery stores in this place then hadn't we?" I questioned

Ruby nodded and linked arms with me as we entered the mall, making our way to the escalators…

"What do you think? Do you think Case will like it?" Ruby asked as she pointed to a watch in a glass case

"I think he'll love it. What do you think? Do you think Brax will like it?" I enquired, showing her the pendant I'd just purchased

"He'll love it. Excuse me, do you think I could have a closer look at this watch please?" Ruby asked one of the sales assistants as they walked past us

"Of course Miss. I'll just grab the keys" she replied, smiling as she walked back to the end of the counter

As Ruby was paying and settling up the money for Casey's watch I saw someone I knew, it was Brax, he was walking out a jewellery store just down the floor of shops Ruby and I were on, a small bag in hand, I smiled, he was buying me jewellery as I was buying him. I was thinking to myself what jewellery it could be, little did I know it was an engagement ring, Brax was planning on proposing…

"I've just seen Brax" I informed Ruby as she nudged me out of my trance

"Oh yea. Where?" she questioned, glancing around

"Walking out of that jewellery store" I replied, motioning to it as we walked out of the store

Ruby waggled her eyebrows, making me giggle as we continued to walk, continuing our day of shopping…


	15. Chapter 15

Charlie and Ruby arrived back at the house later on that afternoon, all shopped out…

"What are you doing with your evening?" Ruby asked as we dumped our bags

"I'm going to see Brax later and then we're going to his. What about you?" I enquired

"Casey and I are going for late night surf and then we'll be at the diner as usual" she laughed, grabbing her bags and exiting the room to hers

"Have fun" I proclaimed, walking into my bedroom, placing my stuff on my bed

"Thanks, you too" I heard her shout from her bedroom, making me chuckle

I freshened up and got changed into a pair of shorts and a simple top, I said my goodbyes to Leah and Elijah and left the house, walking the five minute walk to Angelo's…

"Hey you. You excited for tomorrow?" Brax questioned as I walked in

"Very. How about you?" I asked as I leant over the bar to kiss him gently

"I get to spend the day with the most beautiful woman in Summer Bay. Why wouldn't I be?" he enquired, smiling into our kiss

I bowed my head as he presented me with a glass of wine, making me smile as I couldn't help but wonder how I'd got so lucky…

VALENTINE'S DAY, BRAX'S POV:

I'd been awake since half past seven that morning, I'd gone for an early morning surf and after showering and getting dressed, I checked my present for Charlie, it was in the same place as I'd put the night before. We weren't meeting until the afternoon because she had a shift at work so I decided to head to work and do some paperwork. I checked the time a while later, it was half past ten, I decided to head to Lady Martin's Beach where I was planning my surprise, after setting up the surprise I headed back to the Bay to pick up Charlie and as usual, she was waiting for me…

"Hey. Happy Valentine's Day" she exclaimed, kissing me passionately as I walked into the kitchen

"Happy Valentine's Day baby. You ready to go?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow

She nodded and smiled widely as I took her hand and led her out to the Ute, opening the door for her, shutting it behind her and walking round to the driver's side, setting off…

"Brax. Where are we going?" she asked as we drove down the country roads

"It's a surprise, don't worry, you'll like it" I informed her as we drove down the deserted road, I couldn't believe she didn't recognise it

We pulled up in the car park and she turned to me, smiling…

"Finally" I exclaimed as I shut the engine off

"Shut up. You know what my memory's like" she stated, climbing out of the car as I did the same

We walked down to the beach and as we reached the picnic I'd set out for us her grip tightened on my hand, I smiled at her and pulled her into me, kissing her temple…

"You didn't have to do all this" she sighed as we sat down in the sand

"I thought it'd be nice for us to watch the sunset" I admitted, pouring her a glass of champagne

"It is nice. Thank you" she replied, moving towards me, kissing me gently

"Good. You're welcome. So what's in the bag?" I enquired, motioning to the bag she'd set down next to her

"It's your surprise" she informed me

I smiled and kept looking at her as I moved my hand further towards the bag, grabbing it as she noticed what I was doing…

"No, don't" she exclaimed nervously

"Why? Do you think I won't like it or something?" I questioned as I opened the bag

"I'm hoping you do but I didn't know what to get you" she admitted

I pulled the box out and opened it, she'd got me a pendant…

"Do you like it?" she asked, biting down on her lip nervously

"I love it. Thank you" I proclaimed, pulling her towards me so she was straddling me

"Good. Now where's mine?" she enquired, rubbing her hands together

"Here" I informed her, pulling a box out of my pocket

She squealed as I handed it to her, she fingered the material on the box before carefully opening it, I watched as her facial expression changed to one of shock…

"Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" she questioned, looking up at me

I didn't speak, I just nodded, her gaze dropped back down to the ring and then to me again, without speaking, she nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing me passionately…

"This is a Valentine's Day I'll never forget" she exclaimed as I took the box from her, pulling the ring out and placing it on her finger, both of us admiring it carefully

"I'll never forget it either" I informed her, kissing her neck gently as she let her back lie against my chest


	16. Chapter 16

After arriving back in the Bay quite late we'd stayed the night at Charlie's and had decided to tell everyone that we were getting married the next morning. Walking into my house, I saw Casey, the first time I'd seen him on his own since the whole shooting…

"Heath, what do you want for breakfast?" Casey questioned as I shut the door behind me

"It's not Heath" I informed him, throwing my keys onto the table at my side

"Brax" he proclaimed, swallowing a lump in his throat nervously

"You alright Case? You seem nervous?" I questioned, walking over to him

"Umm yea I'm fine, I've got to get to school, I'll see you" he replied, manoeuvring past me and walking to grab his bag

"Wait a minute Case, I think we need to have a chat don't we? Can you sit?" I asked

"Yea sure" he sighed nervously, moving towards the table I'd sat down at

"It's okay, you've got no need to be nervous, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to know why you did what you did. Do you not realise what I'd have been like if I'd have lost her?" I enquired, raising an eyebrow

"I wasn't thinking about anything and anyone, I was just angry Mum was in jail, I just blurted it out to the boys, I didn't think they'd go as far as they did though" he explained

"Do you know if they've handed themselves into the cops or not?" I asked

"Yea, both of them have" he informed me

I nodded… "you better get to school then hadn't you?"

"Yea" he replied, standing up and walking to the door

"Eh Case, just so you know, if you do anything like this again, I'm not going to be so forgiving, okay?" I questioned

He nodded and walked out the door, shutting it behind him. I checked my watch and stood up, walking to shower and change ready to meet Charlie…

CHARLIE'S POV:

I was scared in case anyone spotted my engagement ring before me and Brax had the chance to announce our news properly, I had to try and keep it as hidden as I possibly could, looking in the mirror as I studied my outfit for the day, I sighed, my ring was still noticeable, I took it off and slipped it into my jean pocket…

"Morning" I proclaimed as I walked into the living room, greeting Leah and Ruby

"Morning. What's got you so chirpy first thing?" Leah questioned, raising an eyebrow

"It's a beautiful day, the sun's shining and the birds are singing and life is good" I replied

Leah and Ruby laughed at me and I burst out laughing also as we continued to eat our breakfasts…

Soon enough lunchtime came and I'd informed Ruby and Leah at breakfast that morning that me and Brax wanted everyone at Angelo's then, I walked in at quarter to twelve, greeting Brax with a kiss…

"Morning fiancée" he greeted me

"Morning. How do you think people are going to react?" I asked nervously, twiddling my thumbs

"People are going to have to get used to it aren't they? We're together and we're happy" he replied, taking hold of my hands "how come you've not got your ring on?"

"It would've been noticeable, I've got it though" I informed him, digging into my pocket, pulling my ring out and sliding it onto my finger

Brax kissed me gently and walked back to the other side of the bar to finish what he was doing before everyone arrived…

Soon enough Leah, Ruby, Casey and Heath walked in…

"So, what did you want us hear for then?" Heath questioned as he sat on one of the tables

"Me and Charlie have got an announcement to make" Brax announced

"You're not pregnant are you?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow at me

"No I'm not pregnant" I chuckled "but last night, Brax did ask me to marry him, and I said yes"

Squeals from Leah and Ruby echoed the silent room as they pulled me into a tight hug as they examined my ring, ooh-ing and aah-ing at it, making me chuckle as Heath and Casey embraced Brax with manly hugs and then kissing my cheek gently…

"I really am sorry for what the guys did to you Charlie" Casey apologised as he pulled away from me

"I know you are. Water under the bridge okay?" I questioned

He nodded in agreement and smiled as Brax walked back over to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me into him…

"Everything okay?" he asked, glancing at both of us

"Yup, everything's fine, Casey was just apologising" I informed him, smiling

Brax nodded…

"I think this calls for a celebration, don't you?" Heath exclaimed, popping a bottle of champagne

"I better go and reign my brother in hadn't I?" Brax questioned, kissing my hair and walking off

"Can I Charlie?" Ruby asked, motioning to Heath and his bottle of champagne

"I don't think so young lady, you've got school to get back to" I informed her, raising my eyebrows disapprovingly

"But Charlie, come on, I'll mix it with orange juice and I'll only put a drop in, I promise" Ruby stated, sighing heavily

"Fine, make sure it's only a drop though, okay?" I questioned

She nodded, kissed my cheek and made her way over to Heath who was handing out the bottle of champagne…

"Charlie, I'm going to take Ruby home, she's a little bit tipsy" Casey informed me a little while later

"What? I told her to just have a drop" I exclaimed worriedly

"She did but then Heath kept plying her with it" Casey explained

I nodded and sighed, running my hands through my hair as Brax walked over to me…

"Is Rubes okay?" he questioned as he sat down next to me

"She's drunk, I said she could have a drop and your brother, Heath kept plying her with it" I sighed

"I'll talk to him when everyone's gone okay?" he asked

"Thank you" I replied, sighing once again as Brax pulled me onto his lap, burying my face in the crook of his neck


	17. Chapter 17

I left the bar not long after saying goodbye to Brax, when I arrived home I saw Casey sat in the living room…

"Where is she?" I asked, sitting down in the chair next to him

"Asleep. She's been sick and she's got some water by her bed. Do you mind if I go? I've got an essay to finish?" he questioned

"No of course I don't mind, off you go. Thanks for bringing her home" I proclaimed, smiling

"Thanks, and just so you know, I really am sorry" he replied as he grabbed his bag

"What did I say? It's water under the bridge" I replied, smiling as I saw him out the door

I shut the door behind him and went to change, Leah arrived home as I finished cleaning the kitchen…

"Hey. Is Ruby okay?" she questioned, placing her bag on the floor

"She's sleeping off the drink but she's going to have one hell of a hangover when she wakes up. Do you mind if I go and see Brax?" I enquired

"No course not, I'll be fine with her, see you soon" she replied, smiling

I smiled and pulled my shoes on, walking out the door and down to Angelo's…

BRAX'S POV:

"Ruby's going to have one stinking hangover later on" Heath laughed as he helped me collect the glasses and clean up for the evening shift

"It's not funny Heath. Charlie's my fiancée and Ruby will soon be my stepdaughter, meaning you'll be her step uncle. Can you try and have a bit of responsibility please?" I questioned

"Brax, it was a couple of drinks, it's not my fault she didn't have any food before she started necking the champers is it?" he enquired, raising his eyebrows

"No I guess not but if something like that happens again, can I trust you to be responsible?" I asked

Heath sighed and nodded, knowing that an argument would just be caused otherwise…

CHARLIE'S POV:

I walked into Angelo's just as Heath was leaving…

"Hey. Everything okay?" I asked as I walked over to Brax at the bar

"Everything's fine. Me and Heath have just talked, he's going to be more responsible when it comes to Ruby and he's sorry, aren't you Heath?" Brax enquired, motioning to Heath

Heath nodded and left the bar, I chuckled and turned back to Brax, raising my eyebrows in confusion…

"He's moody because he doesn't think any harm's been done. How's Rubes?" he questioned, kissing me lightly

"She's sleeping now but she's going to have a stinking hangover. If she's anything like me after drinking that is" I laughed as Brax handed me an orange juice

"Yea I know, remember your birthday?" he asked, leaning on the bar

"Don't remind me, I felt terrible for two days afterwards" I sighed

Brax laughed and we chit chatted for the rest of the afternoon about plans for the wedding until the evening shift began and I headed back home…

"Oh, you're up. How're you feeling?" I asked as I walked in on Ruby watching TV and nursing a cup of tea

"Terrible. I'm never, ever drinking again" she proclaimed, holding her head

"Until the next time" I laughed, sitting down next to her

"No believe me, I'm never drinking again" she stated, sighing heavily

I nodded and we continued to watch TV...


	18. Chapter 18

"So, are you up for helping me with some wedding planning?" I asked Ruby as we sat at the breakfast table a couple of days later

"Yes" she exclaimed, smiling widely

"What's all the noise about?" Leah questioned

"Me and Rubes are going to start planning the wedding which reminds me, can you sit down please? I've got something to ask you both" I informed them

Leah took a seat and raised her eyebrows at me in intrigue…

"Ruby, I want you to be my chief bridesmaid and Leah, I want you to be my bridesmaid" I explained

"I'd be honoured" they both replied in unison, earning a laugh from all three of us

"That's great" I proclaimed as I smiled widely at them both

After Leah had left for work later on that morning, Ruby and I began planning, by mid afternoon we'd organised to see three venues the next day when Brax was available, we'd organised to go dress shopping at the end of the week, we'd arranged to meet caterers and we'd arranged flowers…

"I'm going off to see Brax. What're you doing this afternoon?" I asked Ruby as I walked out into the living room, fixing my earring in my ear

"I'm going to do some studying and then Casey's coming over for a movie evening. You're working tonight aren't you?" she questioned

"Yea. I won't be home till late. Casey can stay tonight if he wants" I informed her

"Thanks. We'll see what time our movie finishes" she replied, smiling at me

I nodded and said my goodbyes, walking out of the house and down to Angelo's where Brax had informed me via text he would be…

"Hello. How did wedding planning go?" he questioned as I walked in

"Good thanks. We've got quite a bit organised tomorrow. We've got appointments tomorrow to see three venues. That okay?" I asked

"Yea sure. I'll get Heath to sort out the delivery for me. What time do you want me?" he enquired

"Right now" I replied, smirking and motioning towards the office

"As much as I'd love to I can't because I've got work to do" he sighed

"Fine" I sighed heavily, turning around and walking back to the entrance, smiling as I'd kept my legs on display in my shorts

I heard his footsteps behind me as he pulled me into him tightly, his hand wrapping around my waist, laying flat on my stomach as he turned me around, our lips meeting passionately as we walked our way back towards the office, shutting the door behind us…


	19. Chapter 19

"Brax, stop" I proclaimed "we could get caught"

"You were the one who suggested it" he reminded me as he kissed his way down my neck

"I wasn't serious. What if we get caught? How embarrassing will that be?" I questioned

"Stop worrying and relax. We're not going to get caught because the door's locked" he informed me, motioning to the door of the office

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving in as his lips found my collarbones, sucking gently yet harshly, leaving tiny red marks. Before I knew it, Brax had moved everything off his desk and planted me on it, his figure in between my legs, unbuttoning my shorts as his fingers slowly dipped in between the material of the shorts, stroking over the outline of my lace knickers…

"God. How wet?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me as he moved the fabric to the side, stroking over my folds, causing a moan to escape my mouth

Half an hour later Brax unlocked the door and we walked out of the office to be met by Heath…

"Bro. What're you doing here?" Brax asked, shocked by his brother's presence

"I came to grab my phone" he replied, chuckling lightly, raising his eyebrows

"I'll see you later" I stated, kissing his cheek and walking out of the bar

BRAX'S POV:

"So?" Heath asked, raising his eyebrow

"So what?" I questioned, walking behind the bar

"You two got lucky huh?" he enquired, grabbing a beer from the fridge

I rolled my eyes and chuckled lightly…

More wedding planning next chapter


	20. Chapter 20

"Brax, can you hurry up? Our appointments at two" I proclaimed as I stood in Brax's living room, waiting for him to get dressed

"Babe, chill, we'll be there in time" he informed me, walking into the living room, grabbing his wallet and keys from the table

"Only if we drive at 100mph, which we're not by the way" I sighed, following him out of the house, shutting the door behind me

He chuckled as we stepped into his Ute, driving off to our first possible venue, The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel…

"Ms Buckton, I'm Jennifer, we spoke on the phone" Jennifer introduced herself as we walked into the Reception of the hotel

"Hi again Jennifer, this is my fiancée Daryl. Can we get started? I'm really excited" I exclaimed, squeezing Brax's hand

"Of course. If you'd like to follow me, we'll start with the Cello's Room first" she explained, walking us into a private function room

"This is beautiful. Look at the views" I sighed, looking out of the window at the breathtaking views "what do you reckon?"

"It's pretty impressive. How many people does it hold?" Brax asked, turning to Jennifer

"It ranges from 40 to 400. How many guests will be attending?" she questioned

"We don't know for sure but on estimate about 150-200!" I informed her

"Great, and will you be having your own caterers?" she enquired

"Does it cost more for you to throw them in?" I asked

"No, no, it's all included in the cost of hiring this room" she explained

I nodded and smiled at Brax as he squeezed my hand, smiling at me subtly. An hour later we said our goodbyes to Jennifer and left the hotel, driving off to our next venue, The Avondale Golf Club. We came away from that venue even more impressed than we had at the hotel, we'd been given information on the various packages they offered so we could talk about them and then inform them whether or not we'd be going ahead…

The afternoon continued to go smoothly and after we'd finished at our final possible venue, The Monash Country Club, we were spoilt for choice…

"Babe, I'm sorry but I've got to go. Heath said there's some trouble with one of the taps at the restaurant. I'll see you later yea?" Brax questioned as he pulled up outside my house

I nodded and smiled as he moved towards me, kissing me gently before I stepped out of the car and watched as he drove off, heading inside to be ambushed by Ruby…

"How did it go?" she questioned eagerly, taking the information I'd got from my hands, spreading it out on the table in front of us

"Hi to you too. Do you mind if I get a drink before we start discussing?" I asked

"Go ahead. Can you grab me a water too? We've got a lot to do" she exclaimed

"Is everything okay? What's going on?" I enquired as I walked back into the room

"I rang the caterers you asked me to and they said they need a list of food as soon as possible so I need to know which of the venues you and Brax are choosing so that I can call them back" she explained

"Me and Brax pretty much fell in love with this one" I informed her, pointing at The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel

"I can see why, it's gorgeous, and they have the catering thrown in too" she stated

"We were told" I chuckled "but before you make any more phone calls, Brax and I need to discuss it okay?" I questioned

She nodded and held her hands up, smiling as I smiled back…


	21. Chapter 21

After much discussion with Brax, we finally decided on The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. I walked out of the office of Angelo's smiling at Brax, nodding that our venue was sorted, everything was coming together…

"Rubes, you around?" I questioned as I walked into the house

"I'm in here. Is the venue sorted?" she asked as I sat down at the table next to her

"Yea, all sorted. We can go over tomorrow and discuss design and decoration" I informed her

She nodded, smiling at me. Ruby had pretty much become my second wedding planner since Brax and I had announced our engagement, she'd helped me through everything, the venue, the choosing of the flowers, the choosing of my dress, the choosing of the suits, the choosing of everything…

The next day, Ruby had arrived home after her morning surf to shower and get ready for our appointment with Jennifer to discuss decoration and design…

"I'm ready" she proclaimed as she grabbed her bag from the chair, throwing it over her shoulder

"Me too. Let's go" I stated, linking my arm with hers as we walked out of the door

We arrived at the hotel and Ruby was in shock, she couldn't believe how beautiful it was, the pictures really didn't do the place justice…

"This place is amazing" she exclaimed, looking around the Reception

"Thank you. We aim to please. You must be Ruby, I'm Jennifer" Jennifer informed her, holding out her hand

"You do please. Nice to meet you. Can we go and see the room please?" she asked

"Of course" she replied, smiling as she guided us through into the room

"How huge" Ruby proclaimed as we walked in

"I know. So, what're you thinking?" I enquired, raising my eyebrows at my daughter

"Lots. You were wanting gold's, creams and beiges weren't you?" she asked

I nodded and watched as my daughter's eyes scanned around the room, figuring out what could be done and what could be possibly done within the room…

"Jennifer, do you mind if I take some pictures of the room? Just to get dimension sizes and things like that" Ruby questioned, pulling out her camera from her bag

"Go ahead. She's an eager little thing isn't she?" Jennifer asked me

"Yea she is. She's been amazing plus she's doing Art and Design at college so this is an amazing thing for her to do" I explained, smiling widely as she began to snap away

"Well if Ruby's in charge then I'm sure this place will look gorgeous" Jennifer replied

"I'm sure it will too" I stated, smiling widely once again

Ruby and I left the venue an hour later, heading back to the Bay…

"I can't wait to put all of these onto my computer. I've got so many ideas" Ruby proclaimed as she scanned through the photos on her camera

"Care to run any of these ideas by me?" I asked

"Sure. I was thinking we could have covers for the chairs, gold or maybe cream?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow

I nodded as we pulled into the driveway…

"And then maybe some of the flower arrangements could be put into vases and we could have gold and cream ties around them?" she suggested once again

I nodded as we walked into the house, continuing our conversation…

As you can tell, I'm thinking of lots of ideas for the wedding and putting a lot of detail into the planning, this is because I want to be a wedding planner, I'd love to do this as a vocation


	22. Chapter 22

"I can't believe tonight's your hen night" Bianca admitted as we stood in the Diner waiting for our drinks to be finished

"Me neither but Bianca, please, nothing too wild, I just want a quiet night" I sighed as our drinks were handed to us, Bianca paying and us leaving

"You're just gonna have to wait and see but don't worry, you're gonna have fun, I assure you" she replied as we walked out of the Diner and went our separate ways until tonight

I walked back to the house and found Ruby finishing off an essay…

"Do you know what Bianca's got planned for tonight?" I asked worriedly

"I know some of it yea, it's pretty tame, for Bianca anyway" she replied "how come?"

"I just don't want anything too wild and Bianca likes wild. Can you tell me some of what to expect, please?" I begged, taking her hands and shaking them

"All I'll say is that there's a stripper involved, that's it" she informed me

I sighed and went back to let her finish her work before tonight's hen night. I decided to go and see Brax at Angelo's, he'd just finished serving a customer when I walked over to the bar, him coming to join me, perching himself on a stool as I leant against him, my back facing his front…

"Hello Ms Buckton, what can I do for you?" he asked

"I don't want tonight to go ahead. I just want it to be me and you" I admitted

"C'mon babe, Bianca's put a lot of thought into everything she's doing tonight, I know that, Heath's told me so" Brax assured me

"Did he tell you she's organised a stripper?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow

"No, and he probably didn't tell me that because he doesn't know himself" he replied

"You'll have a fantastic time tonight, I promise and then in a week's time, we'll be on honeymoon in Hawaii" he proclaimed, taking my hands in his

"It's the honeymoon I'm most looking forward to at the moment. The wedding's stressing me out" I admitted

"Why?" he asked as moved his hands from mine to my shoulders, massaging them gently

"Everything seems to be going wrong but Ruby says it's all under control. I trust her" I replied

"Good, and so you should" he stated, kissing my neck gently, making me moan lightly, a smile appearing on his lips against my skin

Short chapter but gonna be some quite long chapters in the build up to the wedding, the wedding itself and then the honeymoon which I'm REALLY looking forward to writing. Hope you're really looking forward to reading too


	23. Chapter 23

After much deliberation and consultation with Ruby and Bianca over what to wear I'd decided on a royal blue dress and black heels leaving my make up minimal and my hair natural with gentle curls…

"You look hot" Bianca proclaimed as I walked out of my bedroom

"Thanks. So do you, and you do too Ruby" I informed them, smiling widely

"Right, c'mon, let's get going" Bianca stated, taking my hand and leading me out of the house, followed by Ruby

We made our way to Angelo's where my hen night was being held. I was quite wary of the fact that I was in my fiancée's bar and I knew that there was a stripper coming to perform for me in the not too distant future…

"What can I get you ladies to drink? And may I say, you all look absolutely ravishing" the bartender, Alex informed us

"Three Manhattan's please Alex" I replied, smiling at him as he turned to make our drinks

"So who else is coming?" I questioned, turning to Bianca

"Marilyn, Colleen, Irene and Roo" she replied, smiling as Roo and Marilyn walked in the door

About an hour and a half into the evening, a "police officer" walked over to us, I turned to Bianca and raised my eyebrows even though I knew this was all coming, she nodded and I rolled my eyes, nudging her playfully as she handed me some money…

"Charlie Buckton, I'm afraid you've been a bad girl, you're getting married to the wrong man" the "police officer" stated, walking over to me, holding out his hand so I could move to the front of the crowd that had gathered

"I don't think I have but thank you for thinking so" I replied, taking my seat

"You're welcome. Now are you ready for a treat?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

I rolled my eyes and nodded and the music started and so did his performance. After the performance the night progressed and Bianca had got extremely drunk and it was up to myself, Ruby and Irene to make sure she got home okay…

"You gonna be okay with her from here Irene?" I enquired as we stepped into the beach house

"I'll be fine darls, thanks for your help" she replied, smiling as Ruby and I left

Ruby and I walked home in a comfortable silence, both stopping about five minutes down the road to remove our heels…

"I think we need the men in our lives to give us foot massages don't we? When're you next seeing Case?" I asked as we reached the house

"Tomorrow afternoon and then not again till the wedding. When're you seeing Brax next?" she enquired

"Right now" I replied, a smile appearing on my face as I saw my fiancée walking towards us

"I'll leave you to it. Don't be late to bed now, we've still got things to organise" she stated, raising an eyebrow as she walked into the house

I rolled my eyes at her maturity and turned to face Brax…

"What're you doing here?" I asked as his arms wrapped around my waist

"I went to Angelo's after your hen night, Alex told me you quite enjoyed your stripper performance?" he enquired, raising an eyebrow

"It was all part of the façade baby, don't worry, the only guy I'll ever like seeing naked is you" I whispered into his ear, nipping his lobe lightly

"Ugh, stop it. You know I'm busy tomorrow or else I'd be ravishing you right now, you know that?" he questioned

"Course I do but it doesn't matter, we've got the wedding night and the honeymoon, and who knows, there might be a little present in store for you" I admitted

"Ugh, I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow night" he replied, kissing me passionately and roughly

I smiled as I watched him walk away, entering the house and locking the door behind me...


	24. Chapter 24

"This is it, the day you've been waiting for. You nervous?" Ruby asked as we made the finishing touches to my appearance

"No, I'm more excited than anything. Can you believe after today we're not going to share the same surname anymore?" I questioned, taking hold of her hand

"Don't, and hey, who knows, one day we might share the same surname again" she stated, raising her eyebrows suggestively

"I don't think you and Case should be thinking about marriage just yet love, you're still young and you've both got your whole lives in front of you. Just enjoy it and savour every moment" I proclaimed

"Okay, enough with the words of wisdom. The car's here" she informed me

"Already? They're early" I exclaimed, grabbing my flowers from the bed

"You would've had a go at them for being late, and now you're having a go at them for being early. Can anyone please you?" Ruby enquired as we made our way downstairs

"Yes. Brax, and you" I replied, smiling as we reached the front door

She smiled and we shared a short but meaningful embrace, we pulled away and smiled at each other before walking out of the door…

"Charlie, you look stunning" Bianca exclaimed as she hugged me tightly

"Thank you, so do you" I replied, hugging her back as pictures were taken

We made our way into the car and headed off to the church. The journey was quiet but peaceful, myself, Ruby and Bianca sharing smiles amongst each other every now and then. Before I knew it, we'd arrived at the church…

"You ready for this?" Ruby questioned as we stepped out of the car

"Readier than I'll ever be" I informed her, smiling "can you check Brax is inside please?"

"He's in there and he's as nervous as you are" she assured me, smiling

I nodded and we got the nod from Bianca, we walked to the entrance to the church and the music began, Bianca leading the way and Ruby and I entering after, her hand clasping mine…

BRAX'S POINT OF VIEW:

Today was going to be the best day of my life, I just knew it. I was stood at the altar and the music began, Heath, Casey and myself turned around to watch Bianca, Ruby and Charlie walk down the aisle, Bianca was first, I glanced at Heath, a smile was glued to his face and then into view came Charlie and Ruby, I glanced at Casey as he glanced at me, a smile adorning both of our faces. I couldn't believe how beautiful Charlie looked, even more beautiful than she did normally, I couldn't believe that after so much trial and tribulation I was going to make her my wife and every single day I'd make sure that it would stay that way for the rest of our lives…

I couldn't take my eyes off her as she walked down the aisle towards me and I watched, she couldn't take her eyes off me either. I didn't know what I'd done to deserve a woman as amazing as Charlie was, she was kind, beautiful, caring, generous and loving, she'd changed me into a better man, and she had done with Heath too, that's why he was dating her best friend Bianca, there was no way that Bianca would've been dating him now if Charlie hadn't taken a chance and shown Heath what life could be like if he just stopped being an idiot in general…

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride" the vicar announced to the church. The church erupted into applause as I locked my lips with Charlie's passionately, a smile spreading onto her lips, one appearing on mine too

After all the photos had been done we made our way to the reception at The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. Neither me nor Charlie could wait to see what Ruby had done with the place, in the end she'd decided to keep quiet with her final preparations and neither of us had seen the venue since…

"How're you feeling Mrs Braxton?" I questioned as my arm slid around her as we were driven to the reception

"Amazing thank you Mr Braxton. Thank you for making today perfect" she replied

"You're welcome. You know, I'm never gonna tire of calling you Mrs Braxton, in fact, I might just address you as that from now on" I informed her

"Sounds good to me" she proclaimed, laughing lightly as our lips met

Our driver pulled up outside the venue and opened the car door for us, we stepped out and were greeted by Heath and Bianca…

"You're gonna love what Ruby's done with this place" Bianca exclaimed excitedly

"How many glasses of champagne has she had?" I asked Heath, raising an eyebrow

"A couple. You were the one who insisted of having champagne served to guests as they arrived. This" he replied, motioning to Bianca "is your fault"

"Let me take all the blame why don't you" I stated, laughing lightly

"I shall because whilst you're on a plane to Hawaii, I'll be looking after this one" he informed me

"That is if you're not too drunk yourself bro" Casey interjected, wrapping his arm around his brother's shoulder

Heath shrugged nonchalantly in agreement and we all laughed before making our way inside. Bianca, Heath and Casey had made their way inside the room whilst Brax and I stood outside, ready to be introduced to the room for the first time as Mr and Mrs Braxton…


	25. Chapter 25

"It now gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the first time, Mr and Mrs Daryl Braxton" the DJ announced, the doors opening and Brax and I walking in

After many congratulations and our first dance to The Fray, You Found Me it was time for the meal and speeches to begin. Brax and I sat down with Heath and Casey on his side and Bianca and Ruby on my side…

"Rubes, I love what you've done with this place. Thank you" I proclaimed as our meals were served

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it" she replied as her meal was set down in front of her

After the meal and the speeches, Casey reigning Heath in on the rudeness factor which caused everyone to laugh it was time for the cake to be cut. Everything had been perfect, the entire day, everything had gone without a hitch and now it was time for me and Brax to enjoy ourselves on our honeymoon and I couldn't wait…

"I'm exhausted" I exclaimed as I sat down on a chair, propping my feet up onto Brax's knees

"Me too. Have you had a good time though?" he questioned

"An amazing time. Thank you" I replied, smiling tiredly

"Come on Mrs Braxton, let's get you onto the plane before you fall asleep" he stated, lifting me up and carrying me out of the room

He carried me to the car and placed me inside, buckling my seatbelt and stepping around to the other side, him doing the same, he lifted me gently so my head lay on his shoulder and I dozed as we drove to the airport, to board a plane to take us off on our honeymoon…


	26. Chapter 26

"Brax, please, we need a day out of this bed" I proclaimed, trying to drag him out of our hotel bed

"You still haven't given me the surprise you were on about on our last night of freedom" he informed me, raising an eyebrow as he pulled me down onto him

"I will tonight, I promise, as long as we can go out now?" I questioned

"Fine. Give me ten, I'll go shower" he replied, sighing and moving me gently onto the bed below, walking into the en-suite bathroom

That day was spent wandering down the beach and into the village we were staying in. We made our way back to the hotel at about 6pm that evening…

"God, I'm starved" I exclaimed as we arrived back in the hotel room

"Me too. How about room service and a movie?" Brax suggested

"Oh, so you don't want your surprise? Okay" I replied, smiling sweetly

"Well of course I do but can we not eat first?" he questioned

"I suppose so" I informed him, smiling once again and moving myself off the bed

Brax and I ordered food and wolfed our food down as quickly as possible…

"So, where's my surprise?" he asked, raising an eyebrow

I bit my lip and walked over to our wardrobe and pulled a bag out, I'd got my uniform in that bag and didn't want him seeing, I moved into the bathroom and changed out of my clothes. I looked into the mirror, ruffled my hair and put some lipgloss on, checking my appearance once again, I walked out of the room…

"What?" Brax questioned, confused

"I had a genius idea when we were talking after my hen party. You thought I enjoyed my stripper performance which I would've enjoyed much more if it had of been you so I was thinking, how about I perform for you?" I suggested

"Charlie Braxton. Local police sergeant, willing to strip for her husband? Well, I hate to pass up an opportunity" he proclaimed, smirking

I winked and began to unbutton my shirt as Brax got comfortable on the bed, his gaze fixed on me, I was swaying my hips to imaginary music and shrugged the shirt from my shoulders. By this time my back was turned to Brax and I felt him move towards me, his body heat radiating onto my back, I shivered suddenly as he wrapped his arms around my waist, his fingertips trailing over my bare stomach. I moaned softly and leant my head back into his shoulder, his mouth tending to my neck, making me moan even louder…

"You really know how to turn a man on Charlie Braxton" he informed me

I nodded in agreement as his lips continued to tend to my neck. He sucked, the blood rushing to the surface, his fingers moved their way down to my trousers, he unbuttoned the button and pulled down the zip, his hand moving in between the material of my trousers and panties. He rubbed gently over my mound, a deep moan escaping my lips, he turned me around and connected our lips, his hand still between us, if his arm hadn't of been around my waist then I'd have lost my balance there and then, my legs had gone to jelly as soon as he touched me…


	27. Chapter 27

"Honeymoon's over, and no welcome home party either" I sighed as we arrived back at Brax's house, dumping our suitcases in the living room

"We are home a little earlier than expected. Shall we go to Angelo's and see who's there?" he suggested, raising an eyebrow

"You just wanna go and see how Heath's ran the place. You're convinced he'll have burnt it down, give him the benefit of the doubt" I laughed

"You know me too well Mrs Braxton" he replied, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him, our chests colliding and our lips meeting

"You're back" Ruby exclaimed, breaking our kiss suddenly

"What're you doing here?" I asked, pulling away from Brax and hugging her

"I'm looking for Casey, he's not down at the beach, he's not at Angelo's, the diner or the Surf Club. Have you guys any idea where he could be?" she questioned

"Come on, we'll help you look for him" I informed her, guiding her out of the house

Myself, Brax and Ruby continued to look for Casey and we eventually tracked him down walking back up the beach…

"Where've you been?" Ruby questioned, hugging him tightly

"I needed to clear my head. Nice to have you back guys" he replied

"Do we need to talk Case?" Brax asked his little brother, raising an eyebrow

He nodded and sighed…

"I've gotta go babe, I'll see you back at the house later" he informed me

I nodded and smiled as he kissed my cheek and wrapped his arm around Casey's shoulder, guiding him into the Surf Club…

"What was that all about?" Ruby enquired, turning to me

"I have no idea. So, how've you been?" I questioned as we walked off in the opposite direction

"Good. Casey's been acting strangely for the last couple of days though, something's bothering him, I can tell" she admitted

"I'm sure Brax will sort it" I assured her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder

Ruby smiled weakly and we continued to walk, eventually reaching Brax's and now my home…

"Are you sure you don't wanna move in here? There's plenty of space" I asked Ruby as we walked into the kitchen

"No, I need to stand on my own two feet and not having you around all the time will do me the world of good" she replied, smiling

I nodded and smiled…

Later that evening Brax returned, kissing my cheek as I switched the television off, he walked back into the living room, two beers in hand, he handed one to me and we opened them, taking a sip…

"Is everything sorted with Casey?" I questioned, leaning my head on his shoulder

"For now yea. I didn't realise he was struggling so bad been out of Juvy" he sighed

"I guess the honeymoon's officially over?" I asked, raising my eyebrow

"I'm afraid so. It's a case of having to be there for Case when he needs me. Something happened when he was in there Charl" he informed me

"Has Casey told you that?" I enquired worriedly, wrapping my arm around Brax's shoulder

"Not in so many words but I'm his brother, I can tell he's hiding something" he explained

"I'm sure when he feels ready he'll open up to you" I replied, smiling

He turned to me and smiled, pressing his lips against mine softly…

NEXT CHAPTER: Casey's friend from Juvy turns up and threatens to blow Casey's secret. How will Casey react to having his friend in the Bay and trying to come onto his girlfriend?


	28. Chapter 28

"Excuse me, you don't know a Casey Braxton do you?" I asked as I walked into the Surf Club

"Why're you looking for my boyfriend?" a voice questioned

I turned and came face to face with a girl of medium height with brown hair and brown eyes…

"Well, I asked you a question, why're you looking for my boyfriend?" she enquired

"Sorry, I'm Tyler, we were in juvy together. Do you know where I could find him please?" I asked

"He's down at the beach having a surf with his brothers. I'm going there now. Follow me" she stated, walking out of the Surf Club and down to the beach

I couldn't help but check her out, I knew she was Casey's girlfriend but I didn't know how he'd managed to pull anyone so hot. We reached the beach and I watched as Casey greeted his girlfriend with a kiss…

"Tyler, what the hell are you doing here?" Casey questioned, shocked

"Is a guy not allowed to catch up with a mate now they're out of juvy?" I asked

"Why don't we go somewhere else and catch up? In private?" he suggested

"Yea, okay. Sure" I replied

Casey said goodbye to his girlfriend and brothers and we walked back up the beach…

"What the hell Tyler? You can't just show up here unexpected" he proclaimed

"I'm sorry bro but I've just got out, I've got nowhere else to go" I informed him

"So what, you're wanting a place to crash? No can do, I live with my brothers and we've not got the space now my eldest has just got married" he replied

"Can I not bed down in your room or something?" I questioned "I can give you cash"

"No, my girlfriend stays most nights, it'd be too awkward. Sorry" he stated

"Do they know about what happened?" I enquired, raising an eyebrow

"No, and they're not going to. You say anything and I swear I'll kill you" he exclaimed

"Alright, alright, chill out. I'm not gonna say a thing, not if you let me stay" I replied, smirking

"Fine, I'll have to clear it with my brothers first though. Wait around here, I won't be long" he sighed, walking back down to the beach

RUBY'S POV:

Casey walked back down the beach and wrapped his arm around my waist…

"Heath, Brax, I need a favour" he informed his brothers

"Is it about that jerk?" Heath questioned, motioning up to Tyler

"Yea, he needs a place to crash" he explained

"No way. We've not got the space" Heath stated

"Guys please, I really need you to let him stay with us. It'll only be for a couple of nights. Please Brax" he stated, turning to his older brother

"I don't know if it's such a good idea Case. You've got Rubes with us most nights, Charlie's just moved in and Bianca's there most nights too. It just wouldn't be practical" Brax explained

"Can I talk to you two in private please?" he asked, letting go of my waist

They nodded and walked away from me…

"Something happened in juvy and Tyler's threatening to bust the lid on what it was if we can't give him a place to stay. Come on guys, please" he begged

"What happened Case?" Brax questioned, raising an eyebrow

"That jerk's threatening you? I'll kill him" Heath exclaimed

"Nobody's gonna do any killing alright" Brax stated "what happened Case?"

"Let's just say, some of the pigs in there let things go unnoticed" he informed them

"What sort of things?" Brax asked

"Nothing. So, does have a place to stay or not?" he enquired

"Two nights. That's all he gets" Heath replied

Casey smiled and nodded and walked back over to me, guiding me back up the beach to where Tyler was standing…

"You've got two nights with us" Casey informed him

"Thank you" Tyler replied

Casey nodded and I glanced up at him. He looked nervous, petrified even. What did this Tyler have on him? I was sure as hell gonna find out!


	29. Chapter 29

"You really want my brothers to kick your head in for threatening me?" Casey asked Tyler

"Ooh I'm scared" Tyler exclaimed, laughing and jumping onto the sofa

"Hey" Heath exclaimed, walking into the living room "have you never been told to respect others property? You break it, you buy a new one"

Tyler nodded as Heath walked into the kitchen to grab himself a beer, throwing Casey one…

"Do I not get one?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow in intrigue

"You know where the shops are" Heath replied, patting his brother's shoulder as he grabbed his keys and left the house

"Your brother's a jerk off, you know that right?" Tyler enquired, walking into the kitchen to grab himself a beer

"You heard what Heath said, you know where the shops are" Casey proclaimed, pulling Tyler away from the fridge and against the wall

"Woah, boys, what's going on here?" I questioned as I walked in

"Nothing. I'm off out" Casey replied

I raised my eyebrows in intrigue at Tyler, motioning for him to sit down. He rolled his eyes…

"Unless you wanna have this conversation with my husband I suggest you sit your butt down" I proclaimed, motioning for him to sit down again

He did as I said this time…

"So, care to tell me what all that was about? I thought you two were friends?" I asked

"We are. Casey's just got a short fuse since juvy" Tyler replied

"Yea, I've noticed, and so have his brothers. Do you know why?" I enquired

"I do but I've promised not to say anything. He'll kill me" Tyler informed me

"If we don't know what went on then we can't help him. Please Tyler" I sighed

"Fine! Casey's first week in juvy was bad and it only continued to get worse. He was getting beaten up and then he started to get physically abused. The pigs in there did nothing though, they just let it slide" Tyler explained

"When you say physically abused do you mean what I think you mean?" I enquired, part of me not wanting to hear the answer

Tyler nodded "whenever I tried to talk to Case about it he always shut me down, he's still doing it now"

"Okay. Thanks Tyler" I replied, standing up and walking into the living room

"Where're you going?" he questioned

"I need to go and see Brax and Heath. Nothing's gonna happen, I promise" I informed him


	30. Chapter 30

"And Tyler just told you all of this did he?" Brax asked me, raising an eyebrow

"I told him he could either have the conversation with me or you. It was his choice" I replied

"What am I gonna do Charlie? I don't know how to deal with this" he sighed

"We'll get through it together. I promise" I assured him, taking his hands in mine

"Thank you. You go home and I'll back as soon as Liam gets here" he informed me

I nodded and kissed him gently before leaving Angelo's, walking back to the house. Twenty minutes later Brax arrived home…

"Is Casey in?" he questioned as he threw his keys onto the table

"Not that I know of. I've not heard him" I replied

"Case? You home?" Brax shouted down the hallway

There was no answer, it was time for us to just sit and wait, we sat down on the sofa, holding hands…

"Hey guys" Casey greeted us as he walked into the house

"Case, sit down please bud" Brax stated, motioning to the chair

"What's going on?" he asked, doing as Brax had asked

"We know what happened in juvy Case. Tyler told me and I told Brax" I informed him

"What? He had no right. I'm gonna kill him" he exclaimed

"Casey" Brax shouted "sit down"

Casey sat back down and sighed, running his hands through his hair…

"Now I know you don't wanna talk about it but we need to. You need some sort of help. You've got such a short fuse and if you don't curb it, it's gonna get you into trouble. Do you really wanna end up back in jail?" Brax asked

Casey shook his head, signalling no…

"I'll book you in at the doctor's first thing tomorrow morning okay?" I questioned "until then, we don't have to talk about it anymore"

"Does Heath know?" he enquired

"Not yet, if you don't want him to, that's fine" Brax replied

Casey shook his head and sighed "thanks you guys. I'm gonna go shower"

The bathroom door shut and the water started to run. Brax sighed and leant his head back on the couch…

"Babe, we've got the hardest part over with. We'll be okay" I assured him

He nodded and sighed, pulling me into him, kissing my hair…


	31. Chapter 31

"Hey Case, do you want something to eat mate?" Brax asked as Casey walked into the kitchen the next morning

"No thanks, I'm gonna go for a surf and then head to see Ruby. I'll see you later" he replied, grabbing his keys and shoving them into his pocket

Brax sighed and sat back in his chair at the kitchen table…

"Give him time, he'll come around, I promise" I assured him

"He's not a talker. What am I meant to do?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow

"We'll figure something out" I replied, rubbing his arm up and down and smiling

Later on that afternoon I'd just finished clearing up when Casey walked into the house…

"Hey, how's Ruby?" I asked as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge

"She's good, she's coming over later. Where's Brax?" he enquired

"Gone to Angelo's to help Heath sort out a delivery. He's worried about you Case, you really need to talk" I admitted, turning to face him

"Juvy was one of the hardest times of my life. Does Brax not understand that?" he enquired, raising an eyebrow

"Of course he does but he's worried, he thinks you need help" I explained

"I don't need any help, I just need people to get off my back" he proclaimed, walking out of the kitchen and into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I decided to leave Casey to cool off so I left the house and went to Angelo's…

"You okay Charl?" Brax asked as I walked in, sitting down on one of the barstools

"Casey and I had an argument before I left the house. He thinks everyone's on his back when I tried to explain people are just trying to help" I informed him

"Did he hurt you?" he questioned, walking out from behind the bar to me

"No, no, he'd never do that but he shouted. He's really cut up about everything that happened there Brax, and with Tyler here I think it's just a constant reminder. We need to get rid of him" I stated, raising my eyebrows

"Count me in for whatever you've got planned. That dude is so annoying" Heath sighed, walking out of the back

Brax and I exchanged a glance and a smirk. Would things be about to get better or were they about to become a whole lot worse?


	32. Chapter 32

"We're not gonna get violent Heath. We're gonna tell him that he just needs to keep his distance from Casey, preferably away from the Bay" Brax exclaimed as I listened in on their conversation from the kitchen

"Can I not throw a punch or two? It'd be fun" Heath questioned

Brax sighed heavily and I could tell he was shaking his head. I smiled and dried my hands on the hand towel before walking into the living room…

"Everything sorted?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as Brax wrapped his arm around my waist

"Yep. We're just gonna say we think he should keep his distance from Casey preferably away from the Bay" Brax informed me, smiling lightly

"Please, I don't want any violence. The last thing I need is you being dragged away by police" I sighed

"There won't be, I promise. Come on Heath, let's go" he stated

I nodded and sighed heavily as Brax kissed me gently…

"Look, just relax okay Buckton, we won't be long. Why don't you invite Bianca over?" Heath suggested

Brax nodded in agreement and I nodded back and watched as they left the house and got into Brax's Ute and left the driveway. I dialled Bianca's number and waited for her to pick up…

"Hey blondie, how about you come over and keep me company? Your boyfriend and my husband have gone out" I suggested as she picked up

"Where've they gone? I'm meant to be seeing Heath later" she questioned

"I'll explain when you get here. Come on, just come over. We need a girlie gossip" I proclaimed

"Okay. I'll be there in ten" she replied

I smiled and hung up the phone. Fifteen minutes later a knock at the door sounded and Bianca poked her head around the door and walked in as she saw me appear…

"So, what's going on?" she asked as she dumped her bag in the chair and sat down on the sofa next to me

"Brax and Heath have gone to tell Tyler that they should keep away from Casey" I informed her

"Who's Tyler?" Bianca enquired, raising an eyebrow in confusion

"Casey's "friend" from juvy. Did Heath not tell you?" I asked, biting my lip

"No, I didn't know anything about him. Why would he not tell me?" she enquired

"I guess he didn't want you to worry. You can talk to him about it when he gets back" I replied, smiling "wine?"

"Please" she sighed

I smiled and stood up before walking into the kitchen and pouring us two glasses of wine. I walked back through and handed Bianca's to her, watching as she took a long sip…

"Just relax okay? Everything's gonna be fine" I assured her, smiling

An hour or so later the phone rang and I grabbed it from the coffee table in front of us…

"Hello. Yes this is she, how can I help?" I enquired "oh my goodness, yes, we'll be right there"

I hung up the phone and placed my glass down on the table and stood up, grabbing my phone, keys and handbag…

"Char, what's happened?" Bianca enquired worriedly

"It's Heath, we've got to get to the hospital" I informed her

I watched as she threw her glass down onto the table and grabbed her

things, running out of the house…

"Charlie?" Brax's voice stated as we ran into the A & E department of the hospital

"Brax, what the hell happened? Where's Heath?" I asked, rushing over to him

"Heath's unconscious. Tyler had a baseball bat and hit Heath over the head with it" he informed us

"What? Where's the little psycho? I'm gonna kill him" Bianca exclaimed

"B, he's been arrested. Why don't you go and sit with Heath huh? The doctors said that he might be able to hear us" Brax suggested

She nodded and I watched as she walked into the room that Heath was in. I looked up at Brax and stroked his face…

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I questioned

"No, I managed to get him to the ground and call the police. What if he doesn't wake up Charl?" Brax asked, motioning to Heath in the room next to us

"He will, I know it. It's Heath, he's strong" I replied, smiling reassuringly

He nodded and sighed before sitting down in the chairs adjoined to the wall…


	33. Chapter 33

"Any news?" Brax questioned as I walked back into the room

"They've found Tyler and he's been arrested for grievous bodily harm" I informed them as Brax wrapped his arm around me

"Good. Listen B, why don't you go home and get some rest? You've been here for days" Brax suggested

"What if his condition changes and I'm not here?" she asked, turning to face us

"I promise, if anything happens we'll let you know but for now, there's nothing you can do so you'd be best going home, freshening up and resting. I can pick you up later tonight if you want?" I enquired, raising an eyebrow

"Promise you'll call?" she questioned

"We promise, right Brax?" I stated, nudging my husband

He nodded and smiled. Bianca stood up and kissed Heath's forehead and left the room, shutting the door behind her. I took her seat and Brax sat on the opposite side…

"What if he doesn't wake up Charl?" Brax asked after a while of silence

"He's going to. Come on, this is Heath Braxton we're talking about" I laughed

"He's not as strong as everyone makes out, or as he does himself. You've never seen his vulnerable side, when Bianca ended things first time around he was broken" he admitted

I sighed and stared at my husband who rubbed his eyes as to try and stop the tears. I stood up and walked over to him, balancing myself on the edge of the chair before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, his hand holding my arm…

"You two saps better not be making out?" Heath's voice stated, barely a whisper

Brax and I broke apart to see Heath's eyes flickering open. I glanced at Brax, a smile appearing on his face…

"Alright little brother" Brax greeted him

"How's the head?" I questioned, moving back to my seat

"It feels like it's been hit with a baseball bat. Where's B?" he enquired

"She's gone home for some rest. I should probably call her" I suggested

"No, no, if she's just gone leave her for a bit. She's probably been here all the time I've been out of it hasn't she?" he questioned

"Heath's right babe. We'll call her later" Brax replied, smiling at me

I nodded and put my phone away…

So, Heath's awake, what do you wanna happen now?


	34. Chapter 34

We'd called Bianca an hour and a half after Heath had woken up so that she'd gotten some extra sleep. She arrived at the hospital and showered his face with kisses, sitting down eventually…

"How're you feeling?" she asked as she held his hand tightly

"Okay. The doctor said I should be out of here within a couple of days" he informed her

"That soon? That's brilliant. Did he say anything else?" she enquired

"Just to take it easy and rest" he replied, smiling

"Which means that you've gotta do as someone says for once. No surfing or heavy lifting for at least a month" I interjected, smiling at my brother in law

"You two are boss" he informed us, smiling between myself and my best friend

"So that means you're gonna be taking orders from my wife but not me?" Brax enquired, raising an eyebrow

"Got it in one big brother" Heath proclaimed as we all started to laugh. I awed and kissed Brax's cheek, pulling away and smiling widely

Two days later and Heath arrived home with Bianca in tow, entering the house and sitting down on the couch…

"How you feeling?" I enquired, taking his bag from Bianca as I began to sort through his washing

"Good. Babe, you wouldn't get me some painkillers would you?" he asked, turning around to face us

Bianca nodded and smiled, reaching into the side pocket of the bag that she'd been carrying and I was now unpacking, opening the medicine bottle, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and walking over to Heath, handing him both…

"Thanks" he replied, sighing heavily as he placed the tablet into his mouth and gulped it down with some water

"So, what do you wanna do with the rest of your day?" Bianca asked

"I don't know. Stay here, relax and then maybe go for a walk on the beach?" he suggested

"And pick up some dinner and come back here. Brax and Charlie have got date night so we'll have the place to ourselves" she informed him

"And that doesn't mean you two can get down to any funny business. The doctor said not too much at once" I interjected as I set the washer going

"Always have to ruin the fun don't you Buckton?" Heath asked

"Braxton now brother in law" I informed him, flashing my wedding ring

"Damn. I was hoping that was all a dream" he proclaimed jokingly

"Cheeky. Right, I'm off to meet Brax, I'll see you two later. Have fun" I chuckled as I left the house, shutting the door behind me


End file.
